December 2023 Newsletter

the #1 Thing on a Buyer’s Wish List this Holiday Season

This time every year, homeowners who are planning to move have a decision to make: sell now or wait until after the holidays? Some sellers with homes already on the market may even remove their listing until the new year.

But the truth is, many buyers want to purchase a home for the holidays, and your house might be just what they’re looking for. As an article from Fortune Builders explains:

“ . . . while a majority of people take a step back from the real estate market during the holiday months, you may find when the temperature drops, your potential for a great real estate deal starts to rise.”

To help prove that point, here are four reasons you shouldn’t wait to sell your house.

1. The desire to own a home doesn’t stop during the holidays. While a few buyers might opt to delay their moving plans until January, others may need to move now because something in their life has changed. The buyers who look for homes at this time of year are usually motivated to make their move happen and are eager to buy. A recent article from Investopedia says:

“Anyone shopping for a new home between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is likely going to be a serious buyer. Putting your home on the market at this time of year and attracting a serious buyer can often result in a quicker sale.”

2. While the supply of homes for sale has increased a little bit lately, overall inventory is still lower than it was before the pandemic. What does that mean for you? If you work with an agent to price your house at market value, it could still sell quickly because today’s buyers are craving more options – and your home may be exactly what they’re searching for.

3. You can determine the days and times that are most convenient for you for home showings. That can help you minimize disruptions to your own schedule, which can be especially important during this busy time of year. Plus, you may find buyers are more flexible on when they’ll tour a house this time of year because they have more time off from work around the holidays.

4. And finally, homes decorated for the holidays appeal to many buyers. For those buyers, it’s easy to picture gathering with their loved ones in the home and making memories of their own. An article on selling at this time of year offers this advice:

“If you’re selling around a holiday and have decorations up, make sure they accent—not overpower—a room. Less is more.”

Bottom Line

There are plenty of good reasons to put your house on the market during the holiday season. Let's chat and see if it's the right time for you to sell.

The information contained, and the opinions expressed, in this article are not intended to be construed as investment advice. Keeping Current Matters, Inc. does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein. Nothing herein should be construed as investment advice. You should always conduct your own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice before making any investment decision. Keeping Current Matters, Inc. will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on the information or opinions contained herein.

Local Data. National Insights.

In our area this month…
Our market sits established in a strong sellers’ market, especially in Schaumburg and McHenry.
Across the NW Suburbs of Chicago, inventory remains low and competition remains high. But new listings continue to come on the market.
If you are considering selling your home, now might be your chance to snag all the benefits this market has to offer. Connect with me to learn more about your unique situation.

Fried Tofu

Ingredients

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2 (14-ounce) package soft tofu
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1 cup packed dark brown sugar
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2/3 cup Korean soy sauce (such as Sempio)

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½ cup mirin
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1 cup plus 3 Tbsp. water, divided
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¼ cup rice vinegar
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2 tablespoons gochugaru
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1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
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1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
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1 ½ teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 ¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided

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2 tablespoons kosher salt
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1 ½ tablespoons baking powder, divided
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Vegetable oil, for frying
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¾ cup white rice flour (not sweet)
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½ cup vodka
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½ cup thinly sliced scallions
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2 tablespoons sesame seeds
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Directions

Slice tofu blocks into 1-inch cubes (about 60 cubes). Arrange tofu in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Let drain at least 15 minutes or upto 1 hour. Place paper towels on top of drained tofu, and press lightly to remove additional moisture.
While tofu drains, stir together brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, 1/2 cup water, vinegar, gochugaru, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium. While mixture comes to a boil, whisk together 3 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons cornstarch in a small bowl to make a slurry. When brown sugar mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in slurry. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and reaches a maple syrup–like consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Stir together 1 cup cornstarch, salt, and 1 tablespoon baking powder in a medium bowl. Using a pastry brush, dust tofu cubes with cornstarch mixture. Place dusted tofu cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; refrigerate until ready to fry.
Place a wire rack on a baking sheet; set aside. Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 4 inches in a heavy saucepan, and heat over medium until oil reaches 350°F. Whisk together rice flour, remaining 3/4 cup cornstarch, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon baking powder in a medium bowl. Whisk vodka and remaining 1/2 cup water into rice flour mixture until batter is completely smooth.
Preheat oven to 200°F. Working in batches of about 15 cubes and working with 1 cube at a time, use your hand to gently dip 1 dusted tofu cube into batter to coat. Gently place in hot oil, keeping cubes separated to prevent sticking. When tofu floats to the surface and is golden and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes, use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer to prepared wire rack. Place in preheated oven to keep warm while frying remaining tofu.
Rewarm sauce over low. Transfer fried tofu to a large heatproof bowl. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of warm sauce to tofu and, using tongs, gently turn tofu to coat, adding more sauce as desired. Using spider, lift glazed tofu from bowl, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds, and serve with remaining sauce, if desired. Serve immediately.
Make ahead - Sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator.
Note: Find Korean soy sauce and gochugaru at Korean grocery stores.